Growing, the accelerator for 'startups' in industry 4.0

The Growing Startups accelerator, focused on innovation applied to digital industrialization, will accompany the robotics company Thecorpora in the development and commercialization of the Q.bo One robot. As a result of their agreement, Growing will work with Thecorpora's management team to define the three-year strategic plan and implement the roadmap that will allow the project to scale and consolidate the robot in the education and elder care segments. The entry into the capital of the robotics firm is "testimonial," with a "long-term" operation, between five or seven years, according to the accelerator's officials.

Founded in 2008 by Javier Paz and his brother Carlos Paz, Thecorpora launched Q.bo One in 2017 and is finalizing a new version that will allow for more empathetic interaction between the robot and humans, as well as simple consultations and medical reviews for the elderly and cognitive work applications to slow down the deterioration caused by diseases such as Alzheimer's, all thanks to the incorporation of a seven-inch touchscreen. At this moment, Q.bo One is a robot that recognizes itself in a mirror and can interact with children with autism or victims of bullying, as well as remind elderly people of their medication plan and interact with them to slow down cognitive deterioration.

Projects like Thecorpora's are what the Growing accelerator seeks, with a focus on being led by eager entrepreneurs who have already validated technology related to Industry 4.0, "because we believe and consider the reindustrialization of the territory necessary," explains its promoter Joan Matutano. This businessman, linked for years to the automotive sector, has brought the accelerator forward with private capital and has as partners fellow businessmen Francesc Perarnau, former head of institutional relations at Gestamp; Raimon Albiol, former director of Cidem Innovación and who has participated in several startups; and Ferran Jiménez, who has worked in several multinationals and has assumed the financial area of Growing.

Projects like Thecorpora's are what the Growing accelerator seeks, with a focus on being led by eager entrepreneurs who have already validated technology related to Industry 4.0

In his opinion, the pandemic has caused a very strong shake-up in the business fabric and now "everyone is open to new technologies, to reinventing themselves, to gaining competitiveness...", an opportunity that "must not be missed."

The territory must reindustrialize because "the current situation, for example, has shown us that we cannot depend on imports and logistics, and from now on much more priority will be given to local technologies and those that facilitate local production," explains Matutano, insisting that "we cannot depend on logistics and on whoever has the production because then that person ends up dictating the global economy and product prices."

Until a few months ago, CEO of Promaut ---a company specialized in automation and robotization of industrial processes that closed this year given the complex situation in the automotive sector---, Matutano defends Industry 4.0: it is what allows for fast, economical, efficient production lines with integrated logistics, to be very competitive. This is the first step of the reindustrialization that the territory needs. The second, to export highly competitive products globally.

The Growing accelerator, which has an open collaboration line with Esade Creapolis and Acció, was born as a project that will be consolidated with participation in other business projects ---"we have three under study", Matutano specifies--- and with the acquisition of resources from the European Union. With the work carried out by Promaut engineering in recent years, Matutano launched several projects dedicated to the design and manufacture of software and robotics solutions for the automotive sector, with funding of ten million euros, accumulated revenue of 64 million euros, and more than 100 jobs created until 2021.